IRENA’s Director General, Mr. Adnan Z. Amin, and the Interim Director General of International Solar Alliance (ISA), Mr Upendra Tripathy, have signed a joint declaration to deepen cooperation between the two organisations to accelerate solar energy deployment.

The cost of electricity generated by solar PV decreased by almost 70 percent between 2010 and 2016, but IRENA estimates that the average cost will decrease by a further 60 percent over the coming decade. The Joint Declaration affirms the commitment of the IRENA and ISA to collaborate on advancing solar deployment and projects through helping countries develop policies and regulations around solar energy and through the implementation of IRENA initiatives such as the Clean Energy Corridors and the SIDS Lighthouses.

IRENA’s project facilitation tools and platforms such as the Global Atlas for Renewable Energy, the Project Navigator, and the Sustainable Energy Marketplace will be made available to ISA, in support of its project-focused work in countries.

“Driven by remarkable cost declines, innovative policies and new business models, solar energy has emerged as the fastest growing renewable energy worldwide” said Mr Amin. “There is an immense opportunity at hand to bring its benefits to more and more countries around the world. IRENA estimates that solar must account for at least 35 per cent of global power capacity by 2050 to meet the objectives the Paris Agreement on climate. In this context, IRENA stands ready to work with ISA and its members to scale-up solar energy deployment as a means to expanding affordable, reliable and sustainable energy access, as well as to addressing climate and energy security concerns. IRENA looks forward to strengthening collaboration with ISA, sharing its knowledge and experience, and making available its project facilitation tools and platforms.”

Upendra Tripathy, Interim Director-General of the International Solar Alliance, added that the ISA is aiming to facilitate the mobilisation of $1 trillion of capital to rapidly accelerate the adoption of solar energy all over the world. While solar is fast becoming one of the most cost-effective ways to generate new power and deliver energy access, to deploy fast enough, complementarity must exist between ISA’s work and the broader renewable energy mandate and development tools established by IRENA. This will in turn help to catalyse solar development in line with the goals set out under the Paris Agreement.

The Founding Conference of ISA, co-chaired by PM Modi and President Macron, is taking place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Center in New Delhi and is being attended by heads of state and government, ministers, heads of international organisations and other high-level officials.